At this moment, however, Tsunade's mature face was filled with anger.
There was no need to ask, it was obvious she'd suffered a crushing loss.
"Here."
Shinho had a simple solution.
He stepped forward, bent down, and placed a stack of money into her hand.
While doing so, he couldn't resist stealing a glance down her intricately curved neckline.
There was a storm brewing down that abyss.
"You really care about your teacher," Tsunade said, her mood brightening as she saw the thick wad of cash. A smile began to form on her lips.
"Of course," Shinho replied after a brief pause. "You should rest, I'll go make dinner."
…
The Next Day
After breakfast, Shinho and Shizune made their way to the Hokage Office.
"Lord Hokage," Uzuki Yugao greeted them proactively, "The rest area has been completed."
"Thank you for your hard work, Sister Yugao," Shinho said with a small nod.
"What rest area?" Shizune asked, her face filled with curiosity.
"For midday breaks," Shinho replied, stepping into the office with anticipation.
As he had envisioned, a bed had been set up behind the bookshelf.
The area was enclosed on three sides—two walls and the bookshelf—with a door on the remaining side.
Shinho nodded in satisfaction. This setup was perfect.
"…"
Shizune bit her lip instinctively.
While Shinho's reasoning seemed valid, she knew better. That rest area wouldn't just be used for resting.
"Shizune," Shinho called to her with a wink. "You're welcome to use it for naps too."
"No, thank you," Shizune refused immediately.
To her, the Hokage Office was sacred and shouldn't be sullied.
She had always resisted Shinho's attempts to blur those boundaries.
"It's just for resting," Shinho insisted, looking earnest.
"I have work to do. Enjoy your 'rest,'" Shizune huffed lightly and turned to leave.
"The road ahead is long," Shinho muttered with a sigh of resignation.
He shook his sleeve lightly.
Ichikishima-hime tumbled onto the bed, transforming into her human form.
She glanced around and then lay on the bed, rolling around twice with evident joy.
Having previously been confined to a penholder, this new space felt like a luxury.
"Thank you, Master!" Ichikishima-hime cast him a quick glance before throwing herself onto the bed.
"...?"
Shinho looked at her white silk-clad backside, his face full of question marks.
After a few seconds, he sighed and raised his hand.
A crisp slap echoed, making Ichikishima-hime yelp in surprise.
She winced, her watery eyes glistening with innocence.
As expected, she was a little seductress.
Shinho ignored her antics and closed the door.
He had a lot to do today and couldn't indulge her whims.
"I'll bring you some cream puffs when I return," he said, leaving the room.
After reviewing the documents on his desk, Shinho selected three files and headed to Shizune's office.
Shizune noticed the files and immediately took them from him.
Although she was now the head of the Finance Department, she still served as the Hokage's secretary.
"I going to meet with Uchiha Itachi," Shinho said, running his hand briefly over her black-stockinged thigh. "I'll leave these for you to handle."
"Be careful," Shizune replied, rolling her eyes at him.
Satisfied, Shinho turned and left.
This time, he didn't use his Golden Aroura Gu to speed up. Instead, he moved at a normal pace, accompanied by a team from the Anbu.
They were heading to the Fire Temple, where Sora, the son of Kazuma, was staying.
Sora, being a pseudo-Jinchūriki of Kurama, possessed a significant amount of the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Shinho wasn't one to waste resources. He planned to bring Sora back to Konoha.
…
Afternoon, Fire Temple
The temple was peaceful as usual. Several monks could be seen training diligently.
The tranquility indicated that Kazuma and Kakuzu hadn't arrived yet.
As Shinho pondered how to locate Itachi, a faint chakra signal appeared behind him.
He turned to see a crow.
"Lord Hokage, please follow me," the crow said in human speech.
Shinho nodded and followed the crow into a nearby grove.
There, a flock of crows gathered and transformed into Itachi.
"It's been a while," Shinho greeted him.
"Lord Hokage," Itachi said, looking at him with emotion in his eyes..
The small boy he once knew had grown into an impressive figure.
When the Akatsuki first emerged, Itachi had expected them to be unstoppable.
Yet, under Konoha's resistance, the organization had suffered significant losses.
Even Pain had instructed the Akatsuki to avoid direct confrontation with Shinho whenever possible.
"Kazuma and Kakuzu encountered a rogue ninja with a sizable bounty. They diverted to deal with him," Itachi explained after a moment, "At their current pace, they'll likely reach the temple tomorrow."
Shinho nodded slightly.
Kakuzu, was simply doing Kakuzu things. It was hardly surprising.
It made sense. With the Eight-Tails on the run, the Three-Tails awaiting revival, and the One-Tail, Seven-Tails, and Nine-Tails under Konoha's protection, there wasn't much else for Kakuzu to do.
"Do you need my assistance?" Itachi asked, observing Shinho's calm demeanor.
"Not with them," Shinho replied after a brief pause. "But there is something I need your help with."
"What is it?" Itachi asked, interested.
"The Daimyō of the Land of Fire," Shinho said with a smile, "Can you kill him?"
"Wha… What?" Itachi's composure cracked for the first time.
Itachi was shaken, staring at Shinho in disbelief.
The Daimyō of the Five Great Nations, though occasionally targeted for assassination, rarely faced actual attempts.
Everyone understood that behind the Daimyō stood the immense power of their respective hidden villages. Regardless of success or failure, assassinating a Daimyō was essentially a death sentence, unless of course, one belonged to the Akatsuki.
Even so, the Akatsuki had refrained from targeting Daimyōs during their early stages. Yet here was the Hokage himself suggesting such a thing. It was absurd.
"To be precise, we'll attribute it to the Akatsuki," Shinho clarified, his tone casual.
In other words, they would shift the blame.
The Akatsuki's ruthless reputation made it entirely plausible for them to kill a Daimyō.
"Why?" Itachi asked, his confusion evident in his face.
"For Konoha," Shinho replied, retrieving a book and holding it out to him.
"The New Compilation of the Will of Fire?"
Itachi couldn't help but read the title aloud.
"The reason you're looking for is in here," Shinho said with a smile.
The inspiration for writing this book had come from Neji, but its purpose fit perfectly with convincing Itachi. After all, if there was one thing Itachi was known for, it was his unwavering loyalty to Konoha. From massacring his clan in the original timeline to his current rebellion against his father, Itachi's devotion was undeniable.
Itachi opened the book and froze as his eyes scanned the first line:
"When I searched through the history of the ninja world, I found it lacked chronology. Every page was crookedly scrawled with the same theme: monarchy and nobility. I couldn't sleep that night, and as I examined the text under the light, I saw the words hidden in the lines—two words: 'Cannibalism.'"
Itachi hesitated, unable to form a response. It somehow highlighted the shinobi world. "A dog eat dog world"
Though he didn't fully grasp the implications, the statement fully resonated with an uncomfortable truth.
As he turned the pages, he reached the table of contents:
Chapter 1; The Birth of Daimyōs and Nobility
Chapter 2; The Blood and Tears of Commoners
Chapter 3; The True Nature of Shinobi
Chapter 4; The Origins of the Ninja World Wars
Chapter 5; The True Will of Fire
Scarlet light flickered in his eyes as Itachi activated his three-tomoe Sharingan.
His reading speed increased, and the more he read, the more his expression shifted to one of astonishment.
The ninja world was, at its core, a feudal society. Daimyōs and nobles had always stood above the masses, unquestioned in their authority. Even shinobi were expected to obey without resistance.
Now, someone had dared to question that hierarchy, dissecting it at its foundation.
Daimyōs and nobles were no better than commoners or shinobi. Their power and status had been born from bloodshed and exploitation.
"You... you're insane," Itachi finally said, closing the book with a dazed expression.
The content was nothing short of earth-shattering for him. Though parts of it lacked refinement, the revolutionary ideas within had shaken his worldview to its core.
"Why do you say that?" Shinho asked, "Is there anything in the book that's untrue?"
Itachi opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words.
He couldn't pinpoint any flaws in the arguments, leaving him unable to refute them.
..
[Achievement Unlocked: "Revolution"—Reward: Wildfire Gu.]
[Wildfire Gu: Rank Five Gu. When used, it creates an uncontrollably ferocious blaze, capable of devastating large areas.]
..
Shinho blinked in surprise.
Another unexpected achievement. The reward wasn't bad, either. A large-scale offensive Gu worm was something he lacked.
The only downside was that it wasn't a Fire strength Gu, which meant it couldn't contribute to the Six-Armed Heavenly King Zombie's killer move.
"I'll help you," Itachi said after a long silence, having made his decision.
"Thank you," Shinho replied sincerely before changing the subject, "But you didn't come here just to discuss the matter about Fire Temple, did you?"
"Sasuke," Itachi admitted, taking a deep breath to steady himself. The book's contents had nearly made him forget his original purpose.
"So, it's about Sasuke," Shinho said with a smile, "What do you need me to do?"
"The Three-Tails will soon revive in Mirror Lake, located in the Land of Water," Itachi explained, his calm demeanor returning, "I want Sasuke to be there."
"He will be there," Shinho agreed without hesitation.
Helping Sasuke awaken his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan would undoubtedly be beneficial, even if the method wasn't what Sasuke himself might have wanted.
"I'll lure Sasuke away," Itachi continued, outlining his plan, "When the time comes, I need you to ensure neither Konoha nor the Akatsuki interferes."
"No problem," Shinho agreed with a slight nod.
This aligned closely with the events in the original storyline. Besides, Sasuke wouldn't allow anyone to interfere, as he only wanted to face Itachi alone.
"Thank you," Itachi said, a hint of relief softening his features.
The Uchiha clan's current life in Konoha was good. After helping Sasuke awaken his new eyes, Itachi could finally rest, believing his redemption complete.
"Let's deal with the Fire Daimyō before the Three-Tails' revival," Shinho suggested after a moment of thought, "Once he's dead, you won't have to worry about the aftermath."
With the Daimyō gone, his three sons would naturally fight over the throne.
Traditionally, shinobi were prohibited from interfering in such matters, but Shinho had the perfect excuse: the railway.
Konoha could claim it was forced to intervene to protect the railway.
If, during the chaos, the Daimyō's sons all perished, Konoha would have no choice but to assume leadership to maintain order. The explanation would be entirely reasonable.
[tl/n: the author did say he wasn't feeling well when he worte this chapter.]
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